Gaming devices which provide players awards in primary or base games are well known. Gaming devices generally require the player to place or make a wager to activate the primary or base game. In many of these gaming devices, the award is based on the player obtaining a winning symbol or symbol combination and on the amount of the wager (e.g., the higher the wager, the higher the award). Symbols or symbol combinations which are less likely to occur usually provide higher awards.
In such known gaming devices, the amount of the wager made on the primary game by the player may vary. For instance, the gaming device may enable the player to wager a minimum number of credits, such as one credit (e.g., one penny, nickel, dime, quarter or dollar) up to a maximum number of credits, such as five credits. This wager may be made by the player a single time or multiple times in a single play of the primary game. For instance, a slot game may have one or more paylines and the slot game may enable the player to make a wager on each payline in a single play of the primary game. Thus, it is known that a gaming device, such as a slot game, may enable players to make wagers of substantially different amounts on each play of the primary or base game ranging, for example, from 1 credit up to 125 credits (e.g., 5 credits on each of 25 separate paylines). Accordingly, it should be appreciated that different players play at substantially different wagering amounts or levels and at substantially different rates of play.
Secondary or bonus games are also known in gaming devices. The secondary or bonus games usually provide an additional award to the player. Secondary or bonus games usually do not require an additional wager by the player to be activated. Certain secondary or bonus games are activated or hit upon an occurrence of a designated triggering symbol or triggering symbol combination in the primary or base game. For instance, a bonus symbol occurring on the payline on the third reel of a three reel slot machine may hit the secondary bonus game. Part of the enjoyment and excitement of playing certain gaming devices is the occurrence or triggering of the secondary or bonus game (even before the player knows how much the bonus award will be).
One known type of secondary game is a player selection game. For certain known player selection games, the gaming device displays a plurality of positions to a player, some of which are associated with awards and at least one of which is associated with a terminating symbol. In these types of games, typically the gaming device enables a player to select positions until the player selects a position with a terminating symbol, at which time the gaming device provides the player with any earned awards and the game ends. In other similar known selection games, the gaming device enables a player to select a limited number of positions.
Other known selection games are matching games. These games typically require a player to pick selections until the player picks two or more matching symbols. While player selection games are very popular, they are inherently random and do not offer meaningful choices to players.
Another known type of selection game offers a player a choice between different starting amounts of free spins and multipliers. For example, one such game enables a player to select between, “15 free spins at 2×,” “10 free spins at 3×,” an “5 free spins at 6×.”
Progressive awards associated with gaming machines are also known. In one form, a progressive award is an award amount which includes an initial amount funded by a casino and an additional amount funded through a portion of each wager made on the progressive gaming machine. For example, 0.1% of each wager placed on the primary game of the gaming machine associated with the progressive award may be allocated to the progressive award or progressive award fund or pool. The progressive award grows in value as more players play the gaming machines and more portions of these players' wagers are allocated to the progressive award. When a triggering event occurs, such as a player obtains a winning symbol or symbol combination associated with the progressive award or the accumulated progressive award increments to a progressive award hit value, the accumulated progressive award is provided to the player. After the progressive award is provided to the player, the amount of the next progressive award is reset to the initial value and a portion of each subsequent wager on a gaming machine associated with a progressive award is allocated to the next progressive award.
Progressive awards are known to be associated with or otherwise dedicated to a single or stand-alone gaming machine. Alternatively, progressive awards are known to be associated with or otherwise dedicated to multiple gaming machines which each contribute a portion of wagers placed at such gaming machine(s) to the progressive award. The multiple gaming machines may be in the same bank of gaming machines, in the same casino or gaming establishment (usually through a local area network (“LAN”)) or in two or more different casinos or gaming establishments (usually through a wide area network (“WAN”)). Such progressive awards are played for by one or more gaming devices in the same gaming establishment sometimes called local area progressives (“LAP”) and such progressive awards played for by a plurality of gaming devices at a plurality of different gaming establishments are sometimes called wide area progressives (“WAP”).
Moreover it is known that a gaming machine or bank of gaming machines may be simultaneously associated with a plurality of progressive awards. In these multi-level progressive (“MLP”) configurations, a plurality of progressive awards are arranged in a hierarchy and can start at different award or value levels, such as $10, $100, $1000 and $10,000. Each progressive award individually increments or increases until a suitable triggering event at one of more of the gaming devices associated with the MLP causes one or more of the progressive awards to be provided to one or more of the players. In these known gaming systems, once a player is selected to be provided one or more of the progressive awards of the MLP, the gaming system either selects one of the progressive awards to be awarded to the player or enables the player to participate in an event to determine which progressive award they will be provided.
One known problem with a typical multi-level progressive configuration is there are a limited number of ways to increase the rate at which the progressive awards are incremented. For example, one way to increase the increment rate is to require the player to place a higher wager for a play of the primary game. Requiring a higher wager, however, can deter players from playing such games and cause players to seek other less expensive games. Another way to increase the rate at which the progressive awards are incremented is to increase the contribution amount or portion of each wager that funds the progressive awards. Assuming the same average expected payback, this typically decreases the value of the non-progressive awards. Another way to increase the rate at which the progressive awards are incremented is to increase the number of gaming machines associated with the progressive awards. This alternative is typically effective only if the game offering the progressive awards is popular and in high demand. Another way to increase the rate at which the progressive awards are incremented is to require players to place a minimum bet in the primary game to be eligible for one of the progressive awards. This, however, is typically only effective if some players are willing to play the primary game, but not be eligible for one of the progressive awards. A final way to increase the rate at which the progressive awards are incremented is to increase the portion of the contribution amount funded by the casino. However, this alternative is typically limited in its occurrence and associated with a special promotional event.
Accordingly, there is a continuing need to provide new and different gaming systems and new and different ways to provide awards to players including progressive awards.
There is also a continuing need to provide new and different gaming systems and gaming devices which offer different and interesting selection games and games with volatility control.